A Valentine's Day Surprise
by Mario The World Champion
Summary: When Valentine's Day arrives, Ash and Brock get a big surprise from two unlikely sources. What are they? Read on!


Disclaimers:  
    I do not own Pokémon. How many times do I have to say this? Nintendo and Game Freak own it. And I'm wondering when those S.O.B.'s at Nintendo are going to make a Pokémon game that has ALL 386 Pokémon in it?!! **And you can catch them ALL at once?!!! I'll buy it!!! I want MY Suicune!!!** *SOB*

Mario's Notes:  
    Okay. February is here and the whole moth is all about love. And for guys like me who have no woman in their life, it's horribly depressing. All that lovey-dovey crap going on and all those godforsaken ultra fluffy Valentine romance fics on FF.net this time of year, nearly makes me want to puke. But I do like to eat those candy hearts with the crappy sayings on them.

    So, since it's that time of the year where love is everywhere, I, Mario Alvarado, will make my first romance fic of 2004. Romance, Mario Style!!! For this fic... I have brought back Misty for this. ***NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!***

    For all of you Ash/Misty fans who were hoping that this would be my first ever AAML fic... you're sadly mistaken. This new fic of mine does have a little Imiteshipping and a LOT of Breedershipping. This idea came to me all of a sudden while I was busy working on both An Officer And A Pokémon Master and Breeding Love and I just had to get this down. This is THE longest fic I have ever done!!! I hope you all enjoy it.

A Valentine's Day Surprise

    "How much longer before we set foot in Rustboro City?!! I want to head to Devon Corporation quickly and get those parts to them and see if they can bring this Pokémon I found back to life!!!" Max said excitedly as he ran ahead of the group. Right now, the gang was on their way to Rustboro City through the Rusturf Tunnel near Verdanturf Town.

    "Calm down, Max. By the time we do get to Rustboro, it's going to be night and everything will be closed." May said as her ever so eager little brother didn't seem to listen to May,

    "Max is very excited about that Pokémon fossil he snagged from Team Aqua, doesn't he?" Brock asked as he looked at Max trying his best not to run ahead of the gang,

    "I know. I'd be just as anxious to get to Rustboro with a Pokémon fossil, knowing that it could be resurrected." Ash answered,

    "Pikachu." Pikachu added as he rode on Ash's head as usual. The gang was on their way to Rustboro City to visit the Devon Corporation. Max received a very important item that the Devon research crew needed to finally complete their Ancient Pokémon Resurrection machine and May's little brother actually got a stolen Pokémon fossil back from Team Aqua and he was looking forward to see what kind of ancient Pokémon is resurrected. But, an old friend of Ash and Brock wasn't so happy about all of that walking.

    "Oh, can't we take a break? My feet are killing me after all of this walking." Just recently, Misty arrived in Hoenn after her sisters finally returned from their world tour and went back to running the Cerulean City Gym after spending a little quality time with her sisters. A month later, she bumped into Ash and the others in Fortree City, just after Ash defeated Winona for the Feather Badge, Ash's 6th Hoenn League badge collected so far. Misty was overjoyed that she was back traveling with Ash and Brock like old times, but she wasn't getting along with May and Max, Ash's new friends that he met when he first arrived in Hoenn. Ever since Misty rejoined Ash's group, he and Brock have discovered that their travels in Hoenn have been more... interesting. Every day, Misty would argue with May about how bad her Pokémon training skills are and May would fight with Misty about her ever so big ego about how Misty is the best Water Pokémon trainer ever. At least Ash and Misty aren't yelling at each other anymore like they used to. Max on the other hand, just doesn't even want to argue with Misty because he knows his Pokémon facts better than she does. Secretly, Max knows a lot more about Water Pokémon than Misty will let her believe. The team remained quiet while Misty and May didn't say a word to each other when Max spotted this flyer on a lone signpost next to the road.

    "Hey, you guys. Check out this flyer up on the bulletin board." Max said as he got the gang's attention, especially the attention of May and Misty.

    "What does it say?" Brock asked as Ash took a look at the flyer and read it to everybody.

    "Let's see... 'Attention all young Pokémon trainers who are passing by Rustboro City. Are you tired and want to relax and have some fun? Come to the Valentine's Day dance at the Rustboro dance hall this coming Friday Night, doors open at 6 P.M. It's free to get in, please dress nice, free food and drinks and have fun dancing the night away. Who knows? You might find a special someone to join you on your long journey.' Yeah, right." Ash said as he finished reading the flyer. Already, May and Misty's faces lit up while Max acted like any normal little boy his age when it comes to girls and love.

    "A Valentine's Day dance?!!! **Yuck!!** I hate that mushy stuff!!" Max said as he made a few gagging sounds. All little boys his age do that when it comes to girls and love.

    "I second that motion, Max. I'm not into this Valentine's Day stuff either." Ash said,

    "I do like eating all that candy, though." Max said,

    "Me too." Ash added. Just the thought of meeting girls at the dance was more than enough to spark Brock's interest. He was dead set on going and not even Misty will stop him this time!!!

    "So, it looks like we got some more stuff to do in Rustboro. And at this dance, I plan on finally finding a girlfriend!!" Brock said excitedly as he suddenly started racing down the road, leaving a trail of dust in his wake while the gang just looked on dumbfounded.

    "Brock, not again. I thought you would get over that by now. Good thing I still have the mallet." Misty muttered to herself quietly,

    "Not again. Ash, how did you manage to survive with this guy?" Max asked,

    "It wasn't easy, Max." Ash answered,

    "Pika." Pikachu added and the gang quickly went off to follow Brock to Rustboro City, who was already near the city. As the city got closer into view, Misty started to think about stuff; mainly... it was the upcoming dance and Ash.

    _A Valentine's Day dance this coming Friday Night? Maybe I could ask Ash to go with me... yeah, that's it. I'll finally be alone with Ash and find out what he's been up to since we last met._ Misty thought to herself as she slowly walked behind the rest of the group. It was no secret that she missed Ash a lot, but she really hasn't had any time alone with him because her focus was on fighting with May all the time. As for May, she too was thinking about Ash, but not the way Misty thinks of him.

    _You know... maybe since Ash doesn't like these dances, I bet I could trick him into going with me to someplace else. I would like to get to know him better and see if I can get out any good Pokémon training hints from him. Or maybe I'll just go for the free food and listen to all of that dance music._ May thought to herself as she too followed Ash, her little brother and the others into the city limits of Rustboro City.

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    Soon, the gang entered Rustboro City and noticed that the city's nightlife was now abuzz as many adults are heading off to bars, nightclubs and anywhere that is open at nights. When the gang reached the Pokémon Center, they all noticed that there were two centers, one very big and one small. The one the group was standing at was the small one and it wasn't opened at all. It had a sign on the door that said, "Closed for renovations. Will reopen later in the month. Please go to the new Super Pokémon Center next door."

    "A Pokémon Center closed for renovations? That's a first. I thought Pokémon Centers were open during them." Ash said as he finished reading the sign,

    "I guess this Center isn't and I'm not a big fan of those really giant Pokémon Centers that are the norm these days. It's too big for my liking." Max said dejectedly,

    'Yeah. I don't like them either." Ash added,

    "Chu, Pikachu." Pikachu said. As the group began to head to the bigger Pokémon Center nearby, the door to the renovated Pokémon Center unlocked and the door opened.

    "Oh, hello. Are all of you here for the upcoming Valentine's Day dance on Friday Night?" Nurse Joy asked as her head appeared from the now open door. She caught everybody by surprise and Brock this time didn't go into his crazy girl mode, much to Misty's surprise.

    "Not us." Both Ash and Max said together. This was a big shock for Misty, but not May, Pikachu and Brock.

    "Ash... what do you mean you're not going?" Misty asked. She was hoping Ash would go to the dance, but she did know about his dislikes for these kinds of events.

    "I'm not into these dances, Misty. You, Pikachu and Brock know that better than anybody." Ash answered,

    "Well, the dance happens in two days anyway. So, why not stay here until then?" Joy asked,

    "I thought this Pokémon Center was closed for renovations." May said,

    "It was. The renovations were done yesterday and I was too busy at the other Pokémon Center to reopen this one today. I have to get the Pokémon medical machines up and running, but I'll take care of that tomorrow." Nurse Joy said,

    "So, this Pokémon Center serves as a back up for the big one?" Max asked,

    "Yes, that's right. A lot of trainers go to the new big Center, but some others do like to come to this one because it's small, cozy and friendly, not unlike the other centers these days." Joy answered,

    "Well, since you're offered us a place to stay until the dance, I guess we'll take it." Ash said,

    "Great. You'll be the only people here in the Center, since I haven't officially got the place logged back in yet. I think I'll do that next week." Joy said,

    "**What?!!**" The whole gang asked in surprise. Would a Nurse Joy actually slack off on the job?

    "Hey, they still pay me for running this place even though they all focus on the bigger Center. So, are you kids staying or not?" Joy asked,

    "We'll stay. Just as long as you don't mind." Ash said,

    "Heck, I don't mind. I usually get lonely without any trainers to talk to. Besides, you two can keep me company while everybody else is at that dance." Joy said, pointing to Ash and Max.

    "Ash, are you sure you won't go?" Misty asked, still hoping that the boy she wished to be with will change his mind.

    "My mind is made up. I'm staying with Max." Ash answered,

    "Right on, Ash!! **Take that, Water lady!!! You can't win them all!!!**" Max said. Misty grumbled something to herself quietly and Nurse Joy let them all into the Pokémon Center to get some sleep and make preparations for Friday Night.

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    The next morning arrived and Brock woke up a bit late. He, Max and Ash were sharing one room while Misty and May were in another. He threw off the covers and got up to wake up Ash, only to see that Ash wasn't in bed. And neither was Max.

    _Hmm... where could those two be? Ash isn't usually awake by this time._ Brock thought to himself. He then decided to take a shower before going off to find Ash and Max. 20 minutes later, Brock was out of the shower, got dressed and exited their room. He entered the main lounge where trainers sit around and hang out. There, he saw Ash and Max sitting in front of a big screen plasma HDTV. Nurse Joy was standing behind them and she was grinning from ear to ear.

    "WOW!! You got the Anime network, Ass TV, Speed Channel, The Boob Network and Spike TV!!!!" Ash said,

    "Not to mention the NASCAR Channel, WWE TV, Jerry Springer TV and the Kanto and Johto Pokémon Battle Networks!! I haven't seen these channels before in my life!!!" Max said as Ash continued to see what kind of different channels the giant TV has.

    "Boys, this is the main reason I still run this Pokémon Center. I bought this big screen TV last year and I couldn't fit it in my place. So, when I transferred to Hoenn, I went ahead and placed this thing inside here. And since the bigger Pokémon Center opened up, I've been watching TV all by myself since then. Usually some trainers will come by here and watch some shows with me, but not all the time.

    "I wish I had this TV in my house back home in Pallet!! I would probably forget all about Pokémon training." Ash said,

    "So, there you guys are. I thought you two would still be in bed." Brock said as he shocked the two boys from behind. Ash and Max were so into watching all of the TV channels that they forgot that Brock was behind them.

    "Well, Ash and I decided to get a jump start on the day. I can't wait to get to Devon Corporation and give them those parts!!!" Max said happily. Brock smiled at Max's eagerness when May and Misty finally awoke and were already dressed for the day. Misty was surprised to see Ash awake before her. Usually, it's the other way around.

    "Oh, about time you two woke up. I was about to head off to Devon all by myself." Max said as he looked at Misty and his sister, still trying to get all the sleepiness out of their systems.

    "Oh, stop it, Max. I'm tired. I didn't sleep well with Miss water lover next to me, talking in her sleep about her and Ash." May said as she rubbed her eyes, trying to get them adjusted to the morning light. This comment from May made Misty blush. Lucky for her, Ash didn't notice as he and Max were busy seeing the different channels on Nurse Joy's giant TV.

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    After having breakfast together in the Pokémon Center, it was time for everybody to split up. Max hurried off to Devon with the Pokémon fossil and the machine parts and Ash and Pikachu went along to keep an eye on him. Misty meanwhile still begged Ash into going, but when she went to grab her backpack and some spending money, he went off with Max to the giant Devon building with the machine parts and the old fossil in hand. Defeated for now, Misty went into the city to find a nice outfit for the dance, as did May and Brock. All three of them went to different places in Rustboro City. Two hours later, Misty was having something to eat in the Rustboro Mall. She found a couple of nice dresses to wear, but her mind was on Ash.

    "That stupid Ash. Why would he choose to stay with that brainy kid instead of going to the dance with me? I try to be alone with Ash so I could see if he still feels about me, but that May and her brainy brother just keep on stealing him away from me. He's asking for the mallet next time." Misty said to herself as she munched on a few pizza slices and took a sip from her cola. This wasn't how Misty planned her reunion with Ash. She was probably thinking that Ash would be traveling in Hoenn with Pikachu only. It was a real shock to see Ash with not only Brock, but with May and Max of Petalburg City. Misty was hoping that Ash would be alone. That wasn't the case. Right now, her thoughts drifted to May and Max, her new "enemies".

    _I can't stand May!! She doesn't know a thing about Pokémon. Why is it that Ash supports her all the time? She's clueless!! I could beat her Combusken with Horsea if I wanted to!!_ What Misty doesn't know is that May is now focusing her energy on training her Combusken to compete in the Hoenn Pokémon Contest circuit, where she won a few ribbons in the process. And Misty doesn't even know a thing about Pokémon Contests. Because of this, Misty is always fighting with May about that, but May does have the advantage over Misty.

    _And what is up with that girl's little brother? He thinks he knows everything about Pokémon? Nobody knows more about Water Pokémon than me. And why is it that Ash and Brock get along so well with those two?_ As for Misty's gripe with Max, well... Misty does know a lot about Water Pokémon, but Max has been studying a whole lot more than Misty and can spit out millions of Water Pokémon facts and leaves Misty wondering how can some kid be smarter than her? Because of her ego, Misty is focusing her wrath on the two newcomers instead of Ash, but one of these days, May and Max will strike back. As she finished up her lunch, there was this one person who recognized her in the crowd.

    "Well, well. If it isn't the lovely Misty Waterflower, here in the Hoenn region." A guy's voice said from behind Misty. She turned around and there was Rudy, the Trovita Island Gym Leader from the Orange Archipelago. Back during Ash's journey through the Orange Islands, Misty had the chance to stay with him on Trovita and live like a queen, but she decided to stay with Ash instead. It has been a few years since the two have seen each other and it was quite a shock for Misty. She thought he was very nice and handsome back then, but he was more handsome now.

    "Rudy? I didn't expect to see you in the Hoenn region. What brings you here?" Misty asked surprised,

    "I'm here on behalf of the Orange Islands for the annual Gym Leader meetings, taking place here in Hoenn." Rudy answered,

    "Huh. Small world, isn't it?" Misty asked, trying to make some small talk.

    "Well... not really." Rudy said and the two started talking about stuff that happened since their last encounter on Trovita Island. Misty discovered that Rudy was going to be in Rustboro until next Monday and he was also planning on going to the dance this Friday night. What Misty didn't plan on was Rudy asking her out to the dance this Friday. She was secretly hoping that Ash would come too, but she decided that he wasn't and agreed to go with the Trovita Island Gym leader to the dance. So, Misty's night would be looking up. If she couldn't get Ash to go with her, she at least has the next best thing in Rudy.

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    It was past 3 P.M. when Misty returned to the Pokémon Center. She was a bit thrilled that Rudy asked her out to the dance tomorrow and she was going to rub it in Ash's face in hopes that he will get very jealous. What she didn't plan on was seeing May and Brock back from their outfit excursion. They were watching the Sports Car Network on the giant TV while Nurse Joy and Chansey were busy in the back.

    "Huh? Where's Ash?" Misty asked as she placed her stuff down next to the seat Brock was sitting on,

    "Oh. He and Max are still at Devon Corporation. Ash called and said that the Devon guys developed this Pokémon battle simulation and he tested it out. Oh, and Max got that fossil Pokémon brought back to life." Brock answered,

    "I've never seen Max so happy about an old Bug Pokémon. I mean, he does like Pokémon a lot, but not a Pokémon this old." May said. Hearing the word "Bug", got Misty frightened again. To this day, she still hates Bug Pokémon.

    "That... fossil was a Bug?" Misty asked frightened,

    "Yeah. That claw fossil Max got back from Team Aqua was an extinct Pokémon species called Anorith." Brock answered. He was just about to ask Misty why she wanted to know about a bug when he noticed that she ran into her and May's room and locked the door.

    "What was that all about, Brock?" May asked,

    "Misty's not much of a Bug Pokémon fan. She fears them." Brock answered,

    "Well, then. I'm sure that Max will keep her in life with that new Pokémon. At least that will shut her up." May said as she then thought about Misty running in fear of Max's new Pokémon as he tried to show her it over and over again. Brock didn't say another thing about the subject and he went back to watching the Nissan Skyline TV show. As for Max and Ash, they would return a few hours later. Then, Misty, Brock and May began their preparations for tomorrow's big dance. All Ash, Max and Pikachu have planned? Watch some TV.

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    The night of the dance has arrived and everybody who's going is currently busy dressing up nice. All except Ash, Max and Pikachu. The three have made it clear that they won't go and will decided to stay in the rebuilt Pokémon Center and watch a 6-hour MXC marathon with Nurse Joy. As Ash and Max returned from a nearby 7-Eleven with a lot of TV snacks, candy and soda, Brock exited their room. He was dressed for the dance in a white tuxedo. Brock looked like he was going to get married instead of going to a dance with that fancy outfit on.

    "Well, guys. I hope you all enjoy watching that show with that Babaganoosh guy in it. I'm going to be styling and profiling." Brock said and he headed for the door and left the Pokémon Center,

    "He'll be back in an hour, crying about how this cute girl dumped him." Ash said as he saw Brock exit the Pokémon Center and made his way to the dance hall,

    "You think so?" Max asked,

    "Pika pika." Pikachu said. 10 minutes later, May was ready for the dance. She decided just to go alone, have fun by herself and get away from Max and Ash for a few hours. And eat. So, May decided on wearing her usual outfit leaving her bandana, waist pack and gloves behind. May looked and saw Max and Ash already hooting at the people getting hurt in Boulder Dash.

    "Well, I'm heading out to the dance you two. Are you sure that you and Ash will be fine by yourselves?" May asked,

    "Don't worry, May. Ash and I are going down to the movie theater to see a movie later on. So, why don't you go ahead and have fun." Max said as he and Ash quickly turned back around to the big screen TV. May just shrugged her shoulders and exited the Pokémon Center, just waiting to see what kind of good food that is waiting for her at the dance. 5 minutes later, Misty exited her room. She did decide to dress up for the dance. Misty was wearing a frilly blue dress that made her look exquisite. She had her red hair down and it was long. Her hair ended halfway down her back. Misty expected Ash to freak out and blush when he saw her but when she walked into the lounge, he and Max were too busy watching the end of "Pole Riders".

    "So, Ash. I'm heading out to the dance with Rudy, the Trovita Island Gym Leader. I'm sure you remember him." Misty said, expecting Ash to spit out his drink and panic about Rudy trying to steal Misty away, but he didn't. He just gave a quick glance in her direction to see what she was wearing and went back to the TV.

    "Oh, I remember him. I didn't think he'd be here. Well... ask him if he's still a bit sore about me beating him and if he wants a rematch against me. Okay?" Ash asked as his focus went back to "Sinkers and Floaters". He didn't sound so angry about it. Oddly enough, he didn't seem to care that she was going out with the guy who nearly took her away from him years ago. This made Misty very uneasy.

    _I thought Ash would be jealous that I'm going out with. Has his time alone away from me changed him that much?_ Misty asked herself as she left the Pokémon Center. She was going to put Ash out of her mind for the night as she made the short walk to the dance hall.

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    The Rustboro City Dance Hall was decked out for Valentine's Day as hearts and red, pink and white streamers decorated the whole place top to bottom. The place opened up and there was already a few people inside the place, talking about how great this night was going to be. The DJ was on stage and was making a last minute equipment check before letting loose the dance music. When the place started to fill up with young people, the dance started off with some R&B music and some people got together with their dates and started to slow dance. Misty patiently waited for Rudy to show up when she spotted May at the snack table with some other Pokémon trainers that happened to be there tonight. As Misty walked closer to May, she overheard them talking about the Pokémon Contests a lot. The trainers that were with May are Pokémon Coordinators, like her. Oddly enough, May knows them as well.

    "So what brings you here, May?" One male trainer asked,

    "**The free food!!** What else?" May answered cheerfully,

    "That's what I'm here for also. I would have brought a date, but he decided to go out with this redhead." A female trainer said,

    "Gee, that sucks. Getting blown off by some guy for some other girl." May said,

    "Yeah, that sucks. But I'm going to eat everything here!!!!" The girl trainer said,

    "Yeah, right! I can eat more than you!!" The male trainer said,

    "Those guys at the back better get some more food ready!!!" May said and her three compatriots started heavy snacking. Misty looked as May stuffed a lot of food in her mouth, just like Ash in some twisted way.

    _May is just like Ash sometimes. Maybe that's why they get along so well._ Misty thought to herself as she quietly left May behind with her fellow coordinators. She was wondering where Rudy was at when she found Brock near one of the exits. Once again, he was hitting on some girl. Then suddenly, the girl slapped him across his face and stormed off to this other guy, who was mentally shooting daggers at Brock.

    "Looks like Brock is going to have another bad night with the girls again. Maybe this will teach him not to hit on girls the way he does." Misty said to herself, as she wanted another guy push Brock away from his date. It was going to be on of those nights, but she was wondering why Rudy hasn't shown up yet. The dance was well underway and he's not there like he said he would.

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    Back at the Pokémon Center, Ash was just about to catch his breath after laughing his ass off with Max during "Wall Buggers". There was a short break for commercials, which allowed Ash and Max to breath normally. Pikachu decided to go to sleep early, since he didn't want to bother Ash as he laughed like a psycho as some dumb guys on a TV show. Nurse Joy went to the see how the Pokémon were up to and managed to leave before the final contestant splattered himself against the Velcro wall and fall into the mystery sludge. Right before MXC returned with the ultra funny game "Log Drop", the doors to the Pokémon Center opened as Nurse Joy returned from the recovery room. A young girl slowly walked into the center and she dropped her brown backpack by the counter. The girl was sweating a real lot as she looked at Nurse Joy.

    "Hello, may I help you young lady?" Nurse Joy asked as this 14-year-old girl with her green hair done up in two ponytails, wearing a red t-shirt and faded blue jeans, carrying 4 Poké Balls on her belt, gasped for air. She looked a bit winded, probably because she was walking a great distance today.

    "Yeah. I need a place to stay for the night. I saw this place and the other Pokémon Center down the street, but I'm tired as hell and don't want to make the long walk." The girl answered, wiping away from sweat from her face.

    "From the way you look, I'm glad you stopped by here. As for a place to stay, we got a lot of available rooms for trainers to stay. I haven't even told my superiors that I reopened this place yet. So, pick any one you want." Nurse Joy answered,

    "Wow. Thank you. Now I can have a long, hot shower. Can you restore my Pokémon back to 100%?" The girl asked as she handed the Pokémon Nurse her 4 Poké Balls,

    "No problem. Now go take that shower and they'll be ready by the time you're done." Joy said,

    "Thanks." The girl answered as she picked up her backpack and went to find a single room for the night. She passed the lounge where Ash and Max were now rolling on the floor laughing as this guy tried to hold onto the rolling log with his arms and legs, but fell off into the water. She didn't see much of Ash on the floor, but she had a feeling she has seen him before as she arrived at a singles room and went inside. Back in the lounge, Ash nearly peed himself as this guy tried to get across the Logs.

    "Here's Arnold Babaganoosh, a churro eater from Beantown. He leaps to Log #1... **OH!!!!** How'd he survive that boob banger?" The announcer guy said and that alone made Ash howl with laughter. Max on the other hand, was now finally calmed down after so much laughter.

    "Hoo boy. I'm going to die if I see another fat person try "Log Drop" again. I still remember the one where the office people and the gamers battled." Max said,

    "And that fat lady from the office team literally got her face smashed into a trillion pieces right off the start?" Ash asked,

    "Oh, don't remind me." Max said as he tried his best not to laugh like a maniac again, but it didn't work. 20 minutes later, the girl exited her room after taking a long shower. She ditched her other outfit in favor of a loose fitting, oversized blue t-shirt and shorts. The girl also let her green hair down from her usual hairstyle. She wasn't in the mood to go to sleep at the moment, so she decided to see what the hell are those two guys she saw earlier are laughing about. She entered the lounge and saw a young kid around 8 years old with black hair, glasses, a green shirt and brown shorts laughing his head off after this girl leapt into this giant pool of mud as she tried to catch this pink basketball. With him was a Pokémon trainer around 14 years old. Suddenly, she recognized the trainer with messy, black hair and brown eyes. She would never forget that face.

    "Ash? Is that you?" The girl asked. Ash heard a girl call his voice and he looked up to see who it was. There was this girl with long green hair looking at him. He couldn't tell who she was at the moment, but it sunk in real fast.

    "Do I know... **Duplica?!!**" Ash asked surprised. It took him a minute to figure out it was the Ditto trainer since she didn't have her hair up in the two ponytail look she has. In the back of Ash's mind, he did like seeing Duplica with her green hair down like that.

    "It took you long enough, Ashy boy. Maybe it's because I don't have my hair done up the way I usually have it." Duplica said, noticing that Ash was staring at her a bit.

    "Yeah, I think so too." Ash said,

    "Hey, Ash. Who is this girl? You know her?" Max asked as he peered out from behind the couch,

    "Max, I want you to meet Duplica, one of my old friends from a long time ago." Ash said, introducing the Ditto trainer to Ash's young companion.

    "**No way!!** You're that girl that has two Dittos that can morph into other Pokémon, but one of them can turn into big Pokémon, but remain small!!!" Max said. He has heard about Duplica and her amazing Dittos before from passing trainers in Petalburg City. He never thought that the famed Duplica Imite would ever stop at a Pokémon Center in Hoenn where he would be. But Max was more blown away by the fact that Ash is friends with her. Max was now very jealous of Ash.

    "Wow. I guess I'm popular here in Hoenn as well as in Johto and Kanto." Duplica said,

    "I guess you are. Max and I are watching a Most Extreme Elimination Challenge marathon. Want to join us?" Ash asked,

    "**Yeah!!! Join us!!!** Hurry up because they haven't said Babaganoosh yet!!!" Max said happily. Duplica playfully thought about it for a second, but since she and Ash were in the same place for one night only, without Misty to bother them, she took it.

    "Okay. You convinced me, Ashy boy." Duplica answered, causing Max to cheer. She sat down next to Ash on the big couch as the next game, "Dope On A Rope" began. And it didn't take long for the laughing to begin.

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    Out in the night covered Rustboro City streets, Brock was now gasping for air as he was hiding from a mob of very angry guys. It was about an hour and a half into the dance before he got himself into some real major shit. He made the giant mistake of hitting on every girl there. And those girls had dates that didn't like the fact that he was making moves on their women. When the guys tried to beat the crap out of Brock, he ran like the wind and got the hell out of the dance hall, with about 20 pissed guys after him. Lucky for him, Brock was a fast runner and he quickly lost them in a few alleys and he hid inside a brand new dumpster that is used for recycled paper, which was near the giant Pokémon Center's parking lot. Brock remained absolutely quiet as he heard the guys search around the Parking Lot for him. This went on for about 20 minutes and Brock's heart nearly skipped a beat when one of the guys said that they should look in the dumpsters for him. Then one of the big guys said that the guy wouldn't be dumb enough to hide in some trash filled dumpster to get away from them. Moments later, the mob went back to the dance hall, even more pissed that they couldn't find Brock at all.

    "Okay. Memo to self, Brocko. **NEVER HIT ON GIRLS AGAIN!!!**" Brock said to himself quietly as the mob finally left the parking lot. He peeked outside and saw all the guys leaving the lot and back to the dance. After waiting another minute or two, Brock leapt out of the recycle dumpster, dusted himself off and got rid of some scrap paper stuck in his hair.

    _Now that ordeal is over, I just want to go back to the Pokémon Center and go to sleep. I've had enough excitement for one night. I'm never doing that ever again._ Brock thought to himself. Deciding not to take the short way to the Pokémon Center, which passed by the dance hall where those guys might be on the lookout for him, Brock decided to take a very long walk back, through the Rustboro City Park and past the big Pokémon Center. This night has gone straight down the drain. Maybe this will finally teach Brock not to hit on girls the way he does. He walked down the night covered lonely street while he just looked down at the sidewalk as he walked on. After 15 minutes, he arrived at the Rustboro City Park. The long path will take him through the park and the exit will bring him to an earshot of the Pokémon Center where Max and Ash are laughing their butts off with Nurse Joy. He should be back in an hour if everything goes well. Just as Brock made his way to the entrance of the park, he could have sworn that he heard a girl's voice in front of him.

    "**That... jerk!!!** I can't believe that he would dump me right before we got there!!!" The girl's voice rang out in the empty city streets. Brock went to hide in an alley as the girl came into view thanks to the light from a light post nearby. He took a quick peek to see who the girl was and he saw this very cute looking Pokémon with 6 tails and wearing a cute red bow following behind her. Instantly, he knew who the girl was as she sat down on a park bench.

    _It couldn't be... could it?_ Brock thought to himself. He quietly got closer and he recognized the girl right off the bat. It was Suzie, his old crush from long ago and one of the best Pokémon Breeders anywhere. Suzie was all dressed up beautifully for tonight and Brock was just memorized by her beauty. Her shiny and long, aqua covered hair seemed to glisten under the moonlit sky. Suzie was wearing a very nice pink dress that accentuated the curves of her petite but very shapely body with the skirt ending just a few inches above her knees and wore a pair of pink heels to complete her outfit. It seems like her date left her for another girl that he said was more attractive than her and she was bummed.

    "Oh, I knew I shouldn't have let myself be talked into going out with that moron. He just totally blew me off for that bimbo. Oh, Vulpix... what am I going to do now?" Suzie asked depressed,

    "Vulpix." Her loyal fox Pokémon said, trying to cheer up its master. Suzie gave Vulpix a small smile as she got up from the bench the two were sitting on.

    "Well... I guess I really shouldn't worry about it. Anyway, let's get back to the Pokémon Center and call it a night." Suzie said as she got up. Brock quickly hid back behind the building, still not believing that he saw Suzie. That old crush was still alive and well.

    _I can't believe it!!! It's her!!! It's Suzie!! I thought I would never see her ever again!!_ Brock thought to himself real quick. He turned around and saw that Suzie and Vulpix were heading to the big Pokémon Center in a different direction than the one Brock was going to go on. He would go and see her, but after what happened to him and the fears of her date showing up, he decided not to risk it. Once she was down the street a bit, Brock made his move and headed into the park to resume his walk back to the other Pokémon Center. Maybe he should have stayed there for a few more minutes because Vulpix has a great sense of smell and caught Brock's scent. Even thought he gave Vulpix back to Suzie, the little Pokémon still never forgot about him. Suzie caught on as Vulpix started sniffing the air.

    "What's wrong, Vulpix? Is something the matter?" Suzie asked,

    "Vulpix." Vulpix pointed to the park entrance and there, Suzie caught a quick look of Brock entering the park, totally unaware that both Vulpix and Suzie were looking at him.

    "Is that Brock Slate? Could he be here by chance for the dance?" Suzie asked herself real quick. Just before she could call out to him, these 5 dressed up fancy guys came running down the street and saw Brock heading into the park. They are part of the guys that tried to beat him up earlier.

    "**HEY!! There's that damn guy who tried to steal our dates!!!**" The leader guy yelled out. Brock heard the voice yelled out and turned around to see who it was. Then, he wished he didn't.

    "**Yeah, let's get him!!!!**" The second guy said and they were off after him,

    "**Crap!!**" Brock muttered to himself as he ran into the park with the men in hot pursuit. Suzie decided to take action to save her Breeding companion.

    "Vulpix, round those guys up with Fire Spin!!" Suzie ordered to her Pokémon. The guys suddenly stopped running when they heard Suzie order out an attack and they turned around. Moments later, Vulpix fired out a powerful ring of fire, directed at the angry Brock hating mob. The 5 guys were rounded up by Fire Spin and were suddenly cooked well done. The mob fell to the ground and groaned in pain as Suzie petted Vulpix for a good job.

+ + + + + + + + + +

    Brock stopped running to catch his breath. He was expecting the mob to tackle him to the ground and beat him real good, but he didn't hear the guys running behind him. In fact, they weren't even behind him at all.

    "What the hell? Where are those guys?" Brock asked himself as he backtracked his steps and saw the 5 guys burned to a crisp and moaning painfully. He was probably wondering if a Fire Pokémon was in the area, but he didn't except to see Vulpix there and he sure didn't expect to see Suzie there as well. Their eyes locked on and they stared at each other for a few minutes.

    "Hi, Brock. It's nice to see you here." Suzie said, finally breaking the silence between them. She didn't show it, but Suzie was overjoyed to see Brock again after a few years. Brock blushed a little bit at her beauty. Maybe it's because her long hair that shimmered in the moonlight.

    "Wow, Suzie... you look... great." Brock said shyly. Now it was her turn to blush. That was her first compliment of the night on how she looked. Suzie thought that Brock looked very dashing in that white tux of his. But she wanted to know what he has been up to and why he's here in Hoenn. All Vulpix did was watch on as its master and her friend made very small talk. Vulpix knew that Suzie secretly liked Brock because she usually talks about him in her sleep.

    "So, Brock. Why don't we find a place to sit down and talk about what the two of us have been up to?" Suzie asked shyly. Brock nodded yes because he was too shocked to even speak. Right before she grabbed his hand to lead him to a bench nearby, this guy came running into the park and saw something he didn't like. And he made his point clear.

    "Suzie! There you are!! **Hey, jackoff!!! Get away from my date!!**" Suzie turned around and saw the guy that was supposed to bring her to the dance tonight, show up in the park. Brock panicked real good and once again, took off like a Formula One car off the starting line and he ran into the park. He was the last person Suzie wanted to see now and she saw Brock ran off when he arrived, so that made her and Vulpix pissed.

    "Where's that bimbo you dumped me for?" A now pissed Suzie asked,

    "Her? She tricked me. **I swear to god!!**" The guy begged. Suzie had enough and took matters into her own hands. If Brock stayed around for a minute, he would have seen Suzie kick her date hard right in the balls. As her "date" held his two aching best friends on the ground, Suzie tried in vain looking for Brock. But he was once again long gone.

    _Oh... I'm probably never see Brock again. If only that jerk didn't show up._ Suzie thought to herself ass he looked into the park once more, hoping to see Brock appear and talk to him a lot more, but he was already running for his life back to the other Pokémon Center.

    "Come on, Vulpix. We're going back to the Pokémon Center and go to sleep. Tomorrow, we're off to Verdanturf Town." Suzie said as she and Vulpix walked back to the big Pokémon Center. She tried her best to mask her sadness about not seeing Brock ever again and it wasn't working. Her night was totally ruined.

+ + + + + + + + + +  
+ + + + + + + + + +

    Back at the dance, Misty was now fed up with waiting for Rudy to show up. She sat down in some seats that were in the back of the dance hall. There was an hour left in the dance and she looked at all the girls that had dates with them, just slow dancing the night away. She and May were probably the only girls there without any dates, but May was still having a ball with her fellow Pokémon Coordinators and she was outside with them.

    "**That loser!!** If I see Rudy with another girl, I swear to god... if he asks me to stay on Trovita with him, I'm punching his lights out!!" Misty said to herself. She walked up from her seat to get a drink of punch. When she got there, she saw Rudy there on the other side of the dance floor. With another girl. This got Misty really pissed as she stormed over to where he was. Rudy was too distracted by talking with some guys while their girls went to freshen up, so when she approached him and lightly tapped him on his shoulder, he literally jumped 2 feet in the air and faced a pissed off Misty.

    "**Misty?!!!**" The Trovita Island Gym Leader panicked as he came face to face with the girl he was supposed to be with at this dance. He knew he was in really deep shit.

    "Well, Hello, Rudy. Where have you been?" Misty asked evilly. She was out for answers and possibly pain.

    "I didn't know which Pokémon Center you were staying at. I was thinking that you were staying at he big one but when I went there, you weren't even there. So, I decided to ask this young lady to the dance. I'm sorry, Misty. Can I make it up to you?" Rudy asked politely. Right there, he felt the full effect of Misty's wrath. She suddenly stepped back and with one swift move, punched Rudy's lights out with a devastating right hook!!! He fell to the floor hard as the music stopped and everybody's focus was now on Misty. Satisfied with her work, she turned around and made her way to the exit.

    "Misty, please! **I didn't mean it!!** Can't I buy you a milkshake on the way back?" Rudy begged, trying to get her to forgive him. But not today.

    "Hell no. And don't even try to sweet talk me ever again!!! **Loser!!!**" Misty yelled out and stormed away from the dance hall, amazingly to the applause of everybody in the place. Once she exited the dance hall, she saw May there with her Pokémon Contest buddies. Moments later, they all went back to the big Pokémon Center to get some sleep. Looks like their night is over. May said Misty exit the dance hall, holding onto her right hand.

    "Something happen?" May asked,

    "Something like that. I'm ready to get the hell out of here." Misty answered. Usually, she would give a snappy retort but May didn't deserve her wrath tonight. She just wanted to go back to the Center and hopefully get Ash alone with her to tell him what happened.

    "Same here. I want to see if Max and Ash are okay." May said and Misty agreed as the two trainers walked back to the small Pokémon Center where their friends were waiting.

+ + + + + + + + + +

    Meanwhile at the Pokémon Center, Ash and Duplica were still watching the MXC Marathon, but it was now ending. Max decided to go to sleep and went to bed with about an hour left in the marathon. Duplica was secretly thanking Max for leaving. She wanted to talk to Ash alone and she did. Ash told Duplica about how he did in the Johto League Silver Conference and how he met May and Max as he started his Hoenn campaign. It was getting real late and Duplica was getting tired, but she still wanted to talk to Ash some more. But, her battle with exhaustion won her over.

    "Say, Ash. I really enjoyed talking and seeing you again. I just wish we could meet up like this again. I really liked this." Duplica said,

    "You never know, Duplica. We might bump into each other soon. And I'll be looking forward to it." Ash said. He had a million feelings going through him. And it was because of the Ditto trainer.

    "Well... night, Ashy boy. I hope you sleep well." Duplica said playfully. This made Ash blush a little bit and he didn't have time to hide it. She let out a small giggle as she got up and started to go to her room.

    "Okay. Goodnight." Ash said shyly. He watched as Duplica went to her room to go to sleep. Right now, a million emotions were running through Ash. He never felt this way before towards any girl, not even Misty and May made himself this way. It was very warm and calm and for some reason, Duplica made him feel this way. He felt at ease with her near him. Maybe it was because she liked flirting with him all the time. Ash decided to go to sleep as well and try to make sense of the whole emotion thing and about Duplica. He won't admit it, but he likes her and would like to get to know her a lot better if he had the chance. As soon as Ash did go to sleep, Brock returned to the Pokémon Center and noticed that Ash and Max were already sleeping. So, he got out of that tux of his and retired too. Minutes later, Misty and May returned and they too decided to hit the hey as well.

+ + + + + + + + + +  
+ + + + + + + + + +

    The next day was Valentine's Day. Everybody who was at the dance was still in the city exchanging valentines and other stuff. As for Ash and his gang, they were already on their way to Verdanturf Town to think about where to go next. It was already Midday and the gang was relaxing in the hills of the peaceful town and having lunch while Ash was waiting to have his Pokémon checked up at the town's Pokémon Center. The gang picked out this spot at the foot of a grassy embankment while Ash and Brock went to lie down on the hill itself. For some reason, both Ash and Brock were depressed. As Max, May and Misty were all talking about last night, Pikachu was up to finding out why Ash and Brock were feeling down. It was because of last night.

    "Pika pi? Pikachu?" Pikachu asked,

    "I'm fine, Pikachu. I'm thinking, that's all." Ash answered. The reason he was feeling down is because when he woke up this morning, he found out from Nurse Joy that Duplica woke up early and had to leave for Oldale Town. Duplica didn't leave Ash a message at all and that hurt Ash. He wished he could stay in contact with Duplica.

    "Chu, Pikachu." Pikachu added,

    "No, I don't know why Brock is feeling down also. Anyway, I have to go check up on the others. Can you stay with Max and the others for a few minutes?" Ash asked as he got up off the grassy embankment he and Brock were on,

    "Pika pika." Pikachu nodded happily as he ran to where Max, May and Misty were sitting and having lunch. Ash then made the short walk to the Pokémon Center and he found out that his Pokémon weren't ready yet.

    "I'm sorry, Ash. Your Pokémon are still being checked on. But, I do have this message for you that I just got." The Verdanturf Town Nurse Joy said she handed Ash the small letter addressed to him,

    "Huh. How did anybody know where I was at?" Ash asked himself as he walked away from the counter. He sat down on the couch and took a quick look at the letter. What was it in nearly blew his mind away. It was a small note from Duplica and it said that she would be waiting for Ash to call her from the Pokémon Center he was in. Duplica was staying with a friend of hers in Petalburg City and she wanted to talk to him. There was the number on the note. Without hesitation, Ash got up and went to the nearest vid-phone and dialed the number. After a few seconds, the other line picked up and there was Duplica. She was alone in the house because her friend went out to get some things from the Pokémon Mart nearby.

    "Hello... **Ashy boy!!** I knew you'd get my message!!!" Duplica said happily. Once again, those feelings of warmness and calm were flooding Ash.

    "Uh... yeah. I did. Your note said that you wanted to talk to me about something?" Ash asked. He could see that Duplica was a bit nervous about this. After a minute, she started talking.

    "Well, Ash. Even though we have only bumped into each other a few times in the past... I'd like to get to know you better, Ash. For some reason, I feel really warm and calm near you and I think about you lots of times. I know it's weird, but I would like to know you better." Duplica said. She was blushing a bit from her confession. Looks like she has a thing for Ash. And that confirmed something Ash has been thinking also.

    "You know, Duplica... I like you too and I would like to get to know you better." Ash answered happily. That brought a smile to both young people, knowing that they like each other, despite that they have only met a few times before. It was no secret now. Ash really has a thing for Duplica and vice versa. This could be the start of something good.

+ + + + + + + + + +

    While Ash and Duplica were getting to know each other, Brock decided to take a quick walk around the area. As he slept last night he kept on thinking about Suzie. But, when doesn't he? She was so beautiful in that dress she was wearing last night and he was wondering what she wanted to ask him before they were rudely interrupted. Right now, he was thinking that he'd probably never see her again. That old crush he has on her was back in full force and it was tearing him apart.

    "Dammit. **Why can't I get her out of my mind?!!** I really need some help for my problem." Brock muttered to himself as he stopped next to the Rusturf Tunnel entrance, the one that leads to the rest area between Verdanturf Town and Route 116. He hated it when he's torn up like the way he is over some girl, but this girl was Suzie. And she'll always have that emotional impact on him. Ash Brock sat on the rocky exterior and looking over the area around him, he thought he spotted a Vulpix come out of the tunnel entrance.

    "Vulpix, where did you go off to?" A familiar voice called out from the tunnel. Moments later, the trainer appeared and Brock was shocked once again. Suzie appeared from the tunnel. Just when he was thinking about her, there she was. And he thought he would never see her again.

    _Suzie?!!!! **The hell?!!**_ Brock thought to himself as Suzie bent down and picked up the tired out Pokémon. She has still yet to find Brock sitting high on the rocks above her.

    "Okay, you win. We'll stop here for a while before heading off to Mauville City." Suzie said as she sat down on the comfortable grass and Vulpix leapt out of her arms and sat down next to her. From the look on her face, she was thinking about last night.

    "Vulpix?" Vulpix asked,

    "I was thinking about Brock again. If that moron didn't show up last night, I would have found out if that poor guy still thinks about me. I still think he would make a real nice boyfriend, even though he's a bit younger than me. Oh well... I bet I'll never see him again." Suzie said to her little Pokémon. This news made Brock's day. She liked him and that was a first.

    "Huh? She's thinking about me also? This is a small world." Brock said quietly as he looked up at the sky. He felt some kind of satisfaction that Suzie thinks about him a lot also. As he thought about her, Vulpix sensed that Brock was near them as they spoke.

    "Vulpix, vulpix!!!" Vulpix said as it started to climb up the rocky face, trying to tell Suzie to look up there.

    "Oh, what is it now? I bet it's some Pokémon that you want to battle. Well, I'll go check." Suzie said as he got up off the grass and walked up the steep rocky face. Then, she reached the spot where Brock was at and he didn't even see her coming. On the other hand, she didn't even think he would be here. Suzie let out a shocked gasp and that caused Brock to bolt straight up from the ground. For the second time, the two looked at each other for a long time before one or the other even spoke.

    "**What?!!! You?!!! How!!!**" Both Breeders were shocked beyond a reasonable doubt as they both said the same thing, trying to make sense of what the hell happened. Suzie realized that where Brock was at, he could easily hear on what she said to Vulpix.

    "You heard what I said to Vulpix?" Suzie asked surprised as her shock was wearing off,

    "Yeah. Sorry. I didn't mean it." Brock said quietly. He was expecting her to go off on him for spying on her. What he didn't except her to do was to come up to him and give him a kiss on the cheek. When he backed away, Brock was blushing like a mad man. He didn't see that one coming.

    "Actually, Brock... I'm kind of glad that you did. At least I know that you heard what I really think about you." Suzie said,

    "Wow... I like you too, Suzie." Brock said shyly. He was still getting over the shock if finding out that she likes him and wants him to be her boyfriend, but the biggest shock is yet to come.

    "So, Brock. Do you think your friends won't mind having one more person in the group?" Suzie asked,

    "**WHAT?!!! You want to come with me?!!**" Brock asked surprised. What a turn of events this is!!! Now she wants to stay with him. And he's not saying no to that!!!

    "Sure. Now that I got you, I'm not letting you go." Suzie said as she and Brock started to make their way back to the ground. Vulpix started cheering at the sight of its master and Brock together. Maybe she'll stop talking about him in her sleep.

    "Well... if you want to, Suzie. I'm not sure that Misty would like it." Brock said, already thinking about what Misty might do to him if she saw him with Suzie. She would try to bash his head in with her mallet.

    "Oh, I got my own way of dealing with her. Now, let's go back to where your friends are." Suzie said as she dragged Brock to the tunnel and headed back to Verdanturf Town. For a Pokémon trainer and a Pokémon Breeder, this has become one hell of a Valentine's Day surprise. Ash is starting a great friendship with Duplica with hopes that the two will take it to the next level in a few years and poor ol' Brock finally has Suzie in his life and amazingly, she does want to be with him. What does their future hold? Well, Brock, Suzie, Ash and Duplica will take it one day at a time.

The End

Damn... that was long. I started work on this a few days ago and I have never worked this hard on a fic in my life. This beats out those sessions of working on nothing but Ash Ketchum: Formula One Driver. The reason I worked my ass off, I wanted to get this fic out by Valentines Day. That's it. I hope all of you fans like this new piece, especially you, DJ Rodriguez. I better get a real long and good review from you.

Have a question, a fanfic request, a comment, want to flame me, give me a story idea of whatever you wish? Send them all to Hornet19us@Yahoo.com. I will accept all!!! That's just me.

Now that I have finished this... it's back to work on An Officer And A Pokémon Master and Breeding Love. Maybe I can finally get my ass in gear now that the NASCAR racing season is now underway. **Peace out!!!!!**

Mario Alvarado: A.K.A. NASCAR Man  
2/13/2004 **WATCH THE DAYTONA 500, PEOPLE!!! CAN ANYBODY BEAT DALE JR.?!!!**


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